✅Behind the smile || Kim Taehyung X Readers

13 | Mend & Protect

Your POV

"Stay away from our Maths professor… as much as you can." My mind could figure out only one thing to name which I felt at that moment. Confusion. And that drew out a dry laugh to escape involuntarily. I didn't get it , I absolutely couldn't figure out what Taehyung wanted to mean.

He always used to speak in riddles . Helping him out would cause me trouble , heaven knows how. Now he was asking me to stay away from the professor which would have been understandable in other circumstances cause that man was creeping the hell out of me some moments ago. But the way he let it out , sounded too much protective and urge to keep me away from the professor no matter what.

" I seriously don't understand." I blurted out letting a poking smile curve up on my lips. "Which part you couldn't? He was literally trying to invade your personal space -"
" Well thanks for helping me out of that situation but why does it bother you ? Wasn't I some attention seeking b*tch to you a week ago ?" I knew he lied that day to escape the situation but still it hurt.

He lied so well that at some point it made me feel like that was the truth until I got a hold on myself. Right then when an accusation hit Taehyung , he went deadly silent and it didn't take time for his gaze to escape mine and settle on the ground. "I… " and he could not speak , not knowing where to start or what to say.

I heaved out a heavy sigh. There was no way I was going to force him to speak because that wouldn't cause anything. "You don't have to speak." I let out shaking my head as my steps retorted forward walking past the guy. If speaking with him could only cause more confusion then it was better to literally not talk until Taehyung was ready to at least tell something.

I was determined to be the one to walk away this time until Taehyung's voice made me halt my steps. "I didn't mean it that day." I knew it didn't but hearing it from the guy who said it did something which my own reassurances weren't. My back was facing the guy who then slowly walked forward before again facing me.

Though this time there was a difference in his expression. A sudden determination flashed within his eyes which wasn't present before. "I didn't even want to tell any of those lies, but I was just scared. " Taehyung's deep mellow voice shook as for the first time he accepted the fact that he did lie.

"I cannot tell much , but I hope you will just hear me out" It seemed that he was finally ready to open up. Unaware of the trigger which today's circumstances had pulled at the guy , I decided to listen to him.

Taehyung's POV

My heart was palpitating at the thought of what could happen if Y/n was left alone with my father. Professor Han was that monster which everyone wanted dead. He was that monster who took away so many innocent lives , he was that tormentor of me and my mother . Those glaring teaseful gazes he held on me when he asked Y/n to stay back , I could not help but worry about what might happen.

Thinking that staying away from her would do some good was the least wise work I did. Before I thought my father would consider her as his plaything but right now I realised that she was his prey. The next innocent whom he might k*ll anytime just to cease her father from investigating the case related to him. Even if I distanced myself from her , my father would still go after Y/n .

My steps involuntarily stopped gaining the attention from the six guys in front of me. "What happened?" Namjoon asked who stood two steps away from me. My sudden halt had brought confusion really soon. " I forgot my notebook. You guys keep going." Without giving them a chance to speak further, I was already on a run back to the classroom.

Rest happened in a snap. The tension held in the room had already answered my suspicion and the uncomfortable look on Y/n was a strong confirmation to my guess. She couldn't be left alone anymore. So I did what came to my mind at first and escaped with her as soon as possible.

I had guessed that she would understand my warning and listen to me without any more questions being backfired but it would always not go as per my guesses. Not after what she reminded me that I had told to her last week when she wanted nothing but to be kind towards me.

And when the dejection clearly showed its way on her face , I was left with two options - explain as much as you can because you had confused the hell out of Y/n otherwise let her go and don't expect her to be the same kind Y/n towards you anymore. Obviously the first one was more assuring because in no way I was going to let my father hurt Y/n after I failed to protect my best friend.

"I cannot tell much but I hope you will hear me out.." I took a break , forming the sentences up in my head. Although limited, I wanted to tell her the truth . "I put up with this facade cause I don't want people to know what goes on in my life. Trust me , when I said knowing me causes trouble, it wasn't an ounce of lie. Our first meet , where we both talked about our loss….. "

" I still feel like it was my fault that it happened. I lost a source of my happiness just because he got to know about my life more than he should. I am stuck right now , in a void and I cannot escape from the burden it puts up on me by letting anyone know what is wrong with me. Because otherwise I will end up losing another precious person . "

" You are right about the fact that I shouldn't care about what was going on with you a moment ago. Afterall I am no one." Those words felt so alien while speaking. No matter how short our meeting was, yet I felt important whenever Y/n spoke to me. Being no one was never on the scene and it seemed that when I mentioned it , It pained both of us.

Somewhere we knew we had connected with each other. Although oblivious of how much tangled up she was in this situation, yet she tried to be by my side and see right through my opaque lies. It was sure that she was different. She understood me which nobody did and that made it even harder to not care for her , to  not want to protect her.

" But I also cannot ignore it. Professor Han is not as good as he shows . If you decide to not listen to me then I won't have any other choice than sticking along with you." It was my protective stance which made me say the last words. But what came as a reply afterwards was more astonishing.

"Then let's stick to each other and help each other in need like we did five years back." A radiant smile took over Y/n knocking away the seriousness between us. To the point where the heaviness suddenly disappeared from my heart replacing with a fluttery feeling.

My eyes darted to the advancing hands in front of me waiting to get wrapped with mine for a shake. Without further delay or hesitation I let mine hold Y/n's hand. It felt as if nostalgia hit me . The feeling which my fifteen years self could feel five years back was yet again lingering in my heart. The feeling of home .

"You know why I wanted to help you ?" We were walking out of the university grounds hand in hand when Y/n decided to ask the question. I shook my head with a small frown, realising I never really thought about the reason.

" Because you are just like how I used to be. It aches to keep things to yourself, you want to speak out but you are afraid of the consequences. You want to break down but you are scared to show your vulnerability." A gentle curve on my lips was formed hearing her words. It was a sad smile given to the realisation how we come from the same path.

"My parents helped me out of that phase. So I thought to help you out ." Anyone who would see us in this state would surely mistake us to be in love. Reality was we weren't even aware of what our relationship could be named as. We just knew that one of us wanted to protect while the other wanted to mend.

Parting ways was just not the possibility because even after trying, my mind would always end lingering with her thoughts. It felt so complete and without my knowing a huge burden of lonesome was lifted from my heart once I let Y/n enter it.

This conversation was so much needed 😭

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